Christmas Traditions / Tradiciones de Navidad

Question

I opened this post because of another El árbol de Navidad de SD / SD's Christmas Tree where in my answer "tamales" pmikan-pam stated "I think we need your recipe." A short history from my wife: tamales originated from the natives in Central America (she descends from the natives of Turrialba Costa Rica) using banana leaves in cooking and storing food. The tamale later became a family Christmas tradition in Costa Rica. The families get together and make 100 to 500 tamales in one evening.

This is the best site I have foundCosta Rican Christmas Tamales only change the garbanzo beans to whole kernel corn.

Post outher traditions and or recipes if you want or just enjoy the best Christmas flavor of Costa Rica with a glass of Rompope "eggnog".

Pura Vida

Answer 1

Otro costarriquense que me escribió puso "Pura Vida" al fin de su correo. ¿Cómo se dice en inglés? Y ¿Es algo de Costa Rica?

Gracias

I think this is not related to this post. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Costa_Rica#Pura_Vida - francobollo, Dec 6, 2012

Gracias. Thanks. I checked it out. - Jubilado, Dec 7, 2012

Pura Vida is a common salutation in Costa Rica. You can say "bueno/as dias tardes o noches, comó estata, todo bien, que tal, hasta luego, y mas" or simply "Pura Vida" - 00551866, Dec 7, 2012

How nice! - francobollo, Dec 7, 2012

Answer 2

In mexico my family has/celebrates... posadas, comida mexicana, nochebuena, fuegos artificiales

Answer 3

From Wikipedia:

In Venezuelan cuisine, an Hallaca (alt. spelling, "hayaca") typically involves a mixture of beef, pork, chicken, raisins, capers, and olives wrapped in cornmeal dough, folded within plantain leaves, tied with strings, and boiled or steamed afterwards. It is typically served during the Christmas holiday. In the Dominican Republic it is known as guanimos and is made of cornflour and stuffed with ground meat; in Puerto Rico it is known as pasteles, a mixer of plantains, bananas and other starchy root vegetables mashed into masa stuffed and wrapped in plantain leaf. In Trinidad and Tobago, hallaca is known as pastelle but often confused with empanadas.

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La hallaca es un plato envuelto típico de Venezuela.1 Consiste en un pastel hecho con masa de maíz saborizada con caldo de gallina y coloreada con onoto o achiote, relleno con un guiso de carne de res, cerdo y gallina o pollo (aunque hay versiones que llevan pescado),2 al cual se le agregan aceitunas, uvas pasas, alcaparras, pimentón y cebolla, envuelto de forma rectangular en hojas de plátano o de bijao (palma semejante a la del plátano, aunque de textura más fuerte), para finalmente ser atada con pabilo o pita y hervida en agua.3 Es un plato que, a pesar de que se puede servir en cualquier momento del año, es típico de la temporada navideña.

Que rico. - 00551866, Dec 7, 2012

These are soooo good!! - rac1, Dec 7, 2012